Distributor for internal combus



- Dec. 1. 1942.

DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Aug. 14, 1941IIIIIIIJIl-V Leland Horatio Hove Patented 1, 1942 DISTRIBUTOR FORINTERNAL COMBUS- I TION ENGINES Leland Horatio Hove, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application August 14, 1941, Serial No. 408,858 1 Claims. (01. 200-19)My invention relates to distributors for internal combustion engines andhas for an object to provide a device by means of which the supportingplate for the circuit breaker of the distributor may be rigidly andsecurely mounted for oscillatory movement to permit of accuratelyadvancing and retarding ignition in the cylinders.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a construction bymeans of which existing distributors may be easily and rapidly re pairedor reconditioned when wear occurs.

A feature of the invention resides in providing a method by means ofwhich worn distributors may be reconditioned. I

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a liner inthe form of a ring adapted to fit within a groove in the housing, saidring having a groove following the groove in the housing and receivingballs carried by ball holdersmounted on the supporting plate.

A feature of .the invention resides in constructing the liner in theform of an open ring convides a construction and a method by means ofwhich this wear may be taken up and-also by means of which newinstallations may be constructed soas to practically eliminate suchwear.

In the drawing, 1 have illustrated a distributor having a housing 10constructed of cast iron or any other suitable material. This housinghas a cylindrical wall II and a radial wall l2 connected thereto forminga compartment it within the same. At the center of the housing is provided a boss l3 which is connected to the radial wall I 2 and which isprovided with a bearing H. The bearing I4 has rotatably mounted in it acam shaft l5 which projects into the compartment IS. The housing I0 isopen at the top, being nor- The shaft [5 has secured to it a cam I]which structed of resilient material and of a diameter greater than thediameter of the wall of the distributor housing at the groove thereinand adapted to be sprung into the groove in said housing and heldthrough its resiliency in position therein.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterillustrated and/or described.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a distributor for a 6- 'cylinder internalcombustion engine with the cap removed.

-.Fig. 2 is an elevational view partly in sectionand taken on line 2-2of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the liner used with the invention.

For the purpose of supporting the circuit breaker supporting plate of adistributor for oslooseness and play. The present invention proalsosupports the distributor arm of the distributor, said distributor armnot being shown in the drawing.

Within the compartment IS in housing I0 is disposed a supporting plateII! on which the circuit breaker ill of the distributor is mounted. Thiscircuit breaker comprises a mounting 2| pivoted to the plate ill on apintle 22 and adjustably held attached to said plate by means of a screw23 passing through a slot 24 in said plate and an eccentric 25 operatingin a slot 26 in said plate. The mounting 2| carries a fixed contact 21which cooperates with a movable contact '23 mounted on the-circuitbreaker arm 23. This arm is provided with an insulating bushing 3|pivoted on the pintle 22 and is urged toward the contact 21 by means ofa spring 32 engaging an insulating lug 33 attached to mounting 2|. A camfollower 34 engages the cam l1 and makes and breaks the circuit throughthe contacts 21 and 23.

The plate I8 is supported for oscillatory movement about the axis of theshaft l8 in the following manner: Extending about the inner surisconstructed in much the same manner as the ball holders 3! and 38excepting that the same is formed from resilient spring material and isattached to the plate I8 by a device to be presently described indetail. When the distributor is first used, balls are provided which actbetween the grooves in the ball holders 36, 31 and 38 and the groove 35in the wall ll of housing l0. These balls serve to guide the support |8for oscillatory movement about the axis of the shaft l5. The plate l8has a hole 4| of considerably greater dimension than the cam I1 andthrough which said cam and the shaft l5 extend, whereby the said platemay be mounted for oscillation independently of the shaft I5, itsbearings or any parts attached thereto.

For the purpose of oscillating the plate l8 to advance and retard theignition of the fuel in the cylinders of the engine linkage is employedwhich includes a link 42 operable through .a slot 43 in the wall ll ofhousing It). This link is pivoted on a bushing 44 which is riveted tothe plate l8. This bushing also extends through a flange 45 formed onthe ball holder 36 and thus secures the said ball holder in positionupon the supporting plate. A screw 45 threaded into the bushing 44 holdsthe link 42 in position. If desired, the condenser 41 of the distributormay also be mounted upon the supporting plate l8.

The invention includes a liner 48 which is constructed of a temperedspring steel having suitable wearing qualities. This liner is preferablymade of strip material which is rolled transversely and longitudinallyto form an open ring arcuate in cross section. By means of thisconstruction, the outer surface 49 of the liner 48 becomes convex and isof such curvature as to snugly fit within the groove 35 of wall I ofhousing It). At the same time a concave groove 5| is formed upon theinner surface of the liner 48 which follows along the groove 35 andwhich is adapted to receive the balls carried by the ball holders 36, 31and 38. Th length of the liner 48 is equal to or slightly less than thecircumference of the groove 31. while the diameter of the liner 48 issomewhat greater than the diameter of the wall H at the groove 35. Ininserting the liner 48 within the groove 35, the same is sprung intoposition and thie resilience of the metal of which the liner 48 isconstructed holds the liner firmly in position within the groove 35.

Acting between the grooves 39 of the holders 38, 31 and 38 and thegroove 5| of liner 48 are a number of balls 53. These balls are of suchsize as to fit snugly within said grooves sothat av minimum amount ofplay exists whereby the supporting plate I8 is properly supported foroscillatory movement when the link 42 is shifted in a longitudinaldirection. To permit of as-- sembly,.three vertical grooves 52 areformed in the uppermost portion of the liner 48 which intersectthegroove 5|. The balls 53 are inserted into the grooves 5| and between theliner 48 and the ball holders 35, 31 and 38 through these grooves. Theliner is inserted into the groove 35 in such a manner that the grooves52 are out of the range of movement of the balls when the distributor isin operation.

When the invention is to be used for reconditioning worn distributors,the method of procedure is as follows: The balls originally actingbetween the ball holders and the groove 35 are first removed to permitof the removal of the plate l8 from the distributor. The liner 48 isthen sprimg into position with the grooves 52 at the locality of thecorresponding vertical grooves formed in the wall ll of housing II. Theplate I8 is then reassembled and new balls used which are of a diameterequal to the diameter of the original balls less the thickness of theliner 48 and plus the amount of wear. When these balls ar insertedbetween the ball holders and the liner 48, the supporting plate I8 isagain properly mounted for oscillatory movement and in this case theballs ride within the groove 5| of the liner instead of in the groove 35of the housing. Where the device is to be used with new distributors,balls of proper diameter are furnished and the procedure is otherwisethe same.

The advantages of my invention are manifest. An extremely simple andpractical construction is provided whereby worn distributors may beeasily and quickly reconditioned. With my invention, the supportingplate is accurately mounted for oscillation so that accurate timing ofthe ignition results. The liner can be constructed at a nominal expenseand when installed prolongs the life of the distributor supporting plateindefinitely. By the provision of balls of various diameters the linersmay be used in distributors regardless of the amount of wear present. Inthe use of my invention, practically all play is eliminated so that thetimer functions in the intended manner.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. In a distributor for internal combustion engines, including a housinghaving a cylindrical wall and a circuit breaker supporting plate mountedtherein and provided with ball holders having ciroumferentially disposedballs therein arranged in a common plane, said cylindrical wall having agroove on the inner surface thereof arcuate in cross section andsymmetrically disposed with reference to the common medial plane of theballs and concentric with said balls, a metal liner in the form of anopen ring having a curved outer surface adapted to fit the arcuatesurface of said groove in the wall of the housing and an arcuate groovefollowing along the groove in said wall and symmetrically disposed withreference to the common medial plane of the balls, said liner beingconstructed of resilient material and having a diameter greater than thediameter of said wall at the groove, said liner being sprung intoposition within the groove in said wall and being held in place thereinby the resiliency of said liner, said balls being disposed in the groovein said liner and traveling along separate spaced paths, the ends ofsaid liner being disposed between the paths of movement of two adjacentballs.

.curved outer surface adapted to fit the arcuate surface of said groovein the wall of the housing and an arcuate groove following along thegroove in said wall and symmetrically disposed with reference to thecommon medial plane of the balls, said liner being constructed ofresilient material and having a diameter greater than the diameter ofsaid wall at the groove, said liner being sprung into position withinthe groove in said wall and being held in place therein by theresiliency of said liner, said balls being disposed in the groove insaid liner and traveling along separate spaced paths, the ends of saidliner being disposed between the paths of movement of two adjacentballs.

3. A guide for an internal combustion engine distributor including ahousing provided with a cylindrical wall having a groove on the innersurface'thereof arcuate in cross section and a support within thehousing provided with ball holders for carrying balls for engagementwith the wall of the housing at the groove, said guide comprising ametal liner inthe form of an open ring having a transversely curvedouter surface adapted to be received within the groove in the wall ofthe housing and having an inner transversely curved groove followinglengthwise along the groove in said wall and symmetrically disposed withreference to the medial plane of the groov in the wall, said liner beingconstructed of resilient material and having an outside diameter greaterthan the diameter of the wall at the groove, said liner being adapted tospring into position within the groove in said wall and to be held inplace therein by the resiliency of said liner, and replacement ballsapplicable to said ball holders and of a diameter less than that of theballs of said distributor housing and of substantially the samecurvature as the trans- Verse curvature of the groove in the liner, saidreplacement balls being receivable within the groove in the liner andbeing adapted to guide the support for rotary movement.

4. A guide for an internal combustion engine distributor including ahousing provided with a cylindrical wall having a groove on the innersurface thereof arcuate in cross section and a rockable support withinthe housing provided with spaced ball holders each carrying a ball forengagement with the wall of the housing at the groove and' movable toand fro along a separatepath spaced from the. path of movement of eachof the other balls, said guide comprising a metal liner in the form ofan open ring .having a transversely curved outer surface adapted to bereceived within the groove in the wall of the housing and having aninner transversely curved groove following lengthwise along the groovein saidwall and symmetrically disposed with reference to the medialplane of the groove in the wall, and replacement balls applicable tosaid ball holders of substantially the a same curvature as thetransverse curvature of the groove in the liner, said replacement ballsbeing receivable within the groove in the liner and adapted rotatably toguide the support for rocking movement, the ends of the liner beingdisposed between the paths of movement of two ad- Jacent balls.

5. a guide for the rotary ball-guided support a metal liner in the formof an open ring having a transversely curved outer surface adapted to bereceived within the groove in the wall of the housing and having aninner transversely curved groove following lengthwise along the groovein said wall and symmetrically disposed with reference to the medialplane-of the groove in the wall, said liner being constructed ofresilient material and having a diameter greater than thediameter of thewall at the groove, said liner being adapted to spring into positionwithin the groove in said wall and to be held in place therein by theresiliency of said liner, the balls of said support being adapted to bereceived within the groove in said liner and to guide the support forrotary movement within the housing.

6. In a distributor for internal combustion engines including a housinghaving a cylindrical wall and a circuit breaker supporting plate mountedtherein and provided with ball holders having circumferentially disposedballs therein arranged in a common plane, said cylindrical wall having agroove on the inner surface thereof arcuate in cross section andsymmetrically disposed with reference to the common medial plane of theballs and concentric with said balls, 91 metal liner in the form of anopen ring having a curved outer surface adapted to fit the arcuatesurface of said groove in the wall of the housing and an arcuate groovefollowing along the groove in said wall and symmetrically dis posed withreference to the common medial plane of the balls, said liner beingconstructed of resilient material and'having a diameter greater than thediameter of said wall at the groove and a length less than thecircumference of the wall of said housing adjacent said groove, saidliner being sprung into position within the groove in said wall andbeing held in place therein by the resiliency of said liner.

'7. In a distributor for internal combustion engines including a housinghaving a cylindrical wall and a revoluble support positioned within saidhousing and provided with ball holders having circumferentially disposedballs therein arranged in a common plane, said cylindrical wall having agroove on the inner surface thereof arcuate in cross section andsymmetrically disposed with reference to the common medial plane of theballs and concentric with said balls, a metal liner in the form of anopen ring having a curved outer surface'adapted to fit the arcuatesurface of said groove in the wall of the housing and an arcuate groovfollowing along the groove in said wall and symmetrically disposed withreference to thecommon rnedial'plane of the balls, said liner beingconstructed of resilient material and having a diameter greater than thediameter of said wall at the groove and a length less than the

